Music-leaf turner.



A. C. BARTHOLO.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLlCATlON FILED sPT.23. 1914.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

avwemfoz unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ALIPIO C. BAR'IHOLO, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Application filed September 23, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Amrio O. BARTnoLo, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMusic- Leaf Turners, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for an object to provide a music leaf turner adaptablefor use upon ordinary piano shelves which may be produced at anextremely low cost, so as to make it available for general domestic use,and which will be highly eflicient. One purpose is to present a deviceof this character which is applicable to turn in succession any numberof leaves involved in ordinary usage in a musical composition, and whichwill support the leaves efficiently. A further aim is to provide animproved, simple and quickly adjustable individual leaf carrier. Anadditional end attained is the production of the article principallyfrom wire, without special fasteners, supporting boards, or the like.Another desideratum attained is that the number of swinging leaf holdersin a device of this character may be varied to suit the requirements.

Additional objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription, and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front view of the device upon a piano shelf, the dottedlines representing sheet music, opened, and a music rest being indicatedtherebehind in solid lines; Fig. 2 is a detail view of the frame,

Fig. 3 is a top View of the device asseur bled, the piano shelf notbeing shown,

Fig. 4 is a detail side view of one of the leaf clips.

Fig. 5 is a detail of a modification of the base of the frame.

There is illustrated a piano shelf 10 of ordinary form, centrally uponwhich there is set the frame 11 of my device. This frame is formed of asingle piece of wire, first bent into the form of a rectangle with theopposite end portions of the wire connected intermediately of the upperside, the lower part being bent into a plane at right angles to theplane of the upper part, forming a foot 12. One end of the wire isextended downwardly from the point of connection at 13, intermediatelyof the vertical sides 14 of the frame, and at a suitable distance bentoutwardly, and then upwardly Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 191 *7.

Serial No. 863,144.

parallel to the first part of the extension, forming a bracket 15, theupturned part stopping a little short of the upper end of theframcalthough this is not essentialand being spaced forwardly thereofslightly.

Set removably upon the upturned portion of the bracket, which may betermed a pivot post 16, there is a collar 17 having an en largedsemi-circular concentric base flange 18, extended slightly at each sideas at 19 to rest against the sides of the frame. The collar 17 extendsabove the flange 18 a suit able distance and is of suflicient thicknessto form a bearing for the swinging leaf clips now to be described.

The clips are each formed of a single piece of wire, which may becircular, semicircular or fiat in cross-section. The wire for the clipis first bent at its middle to form a circular eye 20 from which the endportions are extended in close parallel relation. The eye is ofsuflicient size to engage readily over the post 16 and at a distancecorresponding to the radius of the flange 18 the wire is bent downwardlyparallel to the axis of the post and extended slightly below the flange18, where the wire is again bent at right angles to dispose the outerparts in horizontal position, forming clip arms 21. One arm on each cliphas its extremity turned upwardly and recurved to form a finger piece22, while the opposite extremity of the wire is curved downwardly in asimilar way, forming a second finger piece 23.

The wire for the frame may be of brass or other ornamental material, andin practice is made of brass wire about two eighths of an inch thick,while the clips are preferably made of steel wire as thin as practicablefor the use intended.

In use, the frame is set centrally upon the music shelf, and the book ofmusic containing the composition to be played is set upon the shelf inthe customary manner, over the foot 12 with the pivot axis of the leavesimmediately adjacent the post 16. The book is opened at the first pageto be played, and with the necessary number of clips pivoted on the postand swung to the extreme right, the clips are one by one opened andengaged upon the upper edge portions of the succeeding pagesrespectively. The construction of the finger pieces is particularlycalculated to facilitate the opening of the clips, the thumb beingpressed upon the uppermost one while the forefinger is engaged with thelower one, the right hand being used. This leaves the left hand free toguide the sheets into proper engagement with the clips. The bearing ofthe vertical portions of the clips against the flange 1S prevents theouter ends of the clips from swinging downwardly as a result of wear orloose play in the parts. To turn the pages, the parts 22 and 23 of theoutermost clips at the side from which the pages are to be turned aregrasped by the hand and swung in the desired direction.

The low cost of the article will be obvious, as well as its efficiency,and it possesses many advantages in addition to those enumerated.

The base of the frame may be modified, if desired, to form a resilientclip to engage adjustably with various piano shelves, by somewhatlengthening the frame, and forming an inturned portion 24L beneath thefoot, whereby the shelf may be clamped between Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the this inturned portionand the part thereover corresponding to the foot originally described.

hat is claimed is:

A device of the class described comprising a supporting frame, a pivotpost carried by the upper part of the frame, a plurality of leaf clipshaving bearing portions for loose engagement around the post, a seat tolimit downward movement of the bearing portions on the post, aconcentric semi-circular bearing support extending a distance outwardlyof the post and below said seat, said clips having downwardly extendedportions slidably engaged against the outer edge of said bearingsupport.

In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ALIPIO C. BARTHOLO. WVitnesses:

JOSEPH I. DA TERRA, WVILLIAM A. MACCORD.

"Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

